[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 7 (Wednesday, January 11, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RESTORE THE PROMISES OF HIGH QUALITY OF CARE, LOWER PRICES, AND DOCTOR 
                               OF CHOICE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Olson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, Texans know the difference between right and 
wrong, between truth and lie.
  The Democrats promised four things when they passed ObamaCare: number 
one, you can keep your insurance; number two, you can keep your doctor; 
number three, you have a better quality of care; and number four, that 
care will come at a lower cost. Within weeks, we found out that all 
four promises were being broken; all four were lies.
  But don't take my word for it. Take the word of the constituent from 
Texas 22, my boss Andrea Kulberg. Andrea writes:

       I am a 42-year-old, legally blind, single parent in Sugar 
     Land, self-employed, working very hard to rear two great 
     kids, ages 15 and 13.
       I have a master's degree in education and work extremely 
     hard to provide a stable, comfortable life for my kids. In 
     doing so, I have invested time and dollars into my own health 
     care because the kids need me to be healthy.
       I lost my right eye a few years ago to complications from 
     ROP, too much oxygen at birth, and my left eye is severely 
     impaired with potential for complications that would need 
     immediate specialized care. I have different specialist 
     doctors for different issues related to each eye.
       Additionally, I am a cancer survivor, renal cancer, RCC, 
     which also requires specialist follow-up. For these reasons 
     and others, I have spent time and efforts to get drivers to 
     take me to specialists for these specific positions.
       Over the years, I have paid high healthcare premiums for 
     this, usually around $500 per month--that is crazy in 
     itself--for a PPO to allow me freedom to keep my existing 
     doctor. I paid these fees and sacrificed other luxuries in 
     life so I could get the care I needed with the doctors I 
     wanted. They are the best doctors in their respective fields, 
     and my trust in them is important with this type of care.
       I don't have the PPO option now for my health care in 2016 
     through the ACA. The HMOs and EPOs being offered are not 
     being accepted by my doctors.
       I am certain you have heard this as well, but I am writing 
     to you anyway because it has to be said that among these 
     needs of many others in similar situations as my own, my 
     remaining eyesight and renal function should never be less 
     important than anything in politics. And while I know that 
     there were many, many people in this same boat, for today, 
     while I write this letter, it is about my kids getting to 
     keep their mom and about me keeping the ability to see them 
     grow up.
       I know PPOs won't suddenly appear on healthcare.gov because 
     I sent this email. I know this can't be immediately fixed. 
     But I write because it needs to be said; it needs to be 
     heard; it needs to be acted on.
       I don't know the right actions that need to happen. I will 
     leave that to your area of expertise. But I know the way it 
     is now doesn't work.
       In the past, I paid a lot and had my share of insurance 
     issues, but at least I could still choose my own doctor. At 
     least in a crisis, which I have had, I went straight to the 
     doctor who knew me and my history and could resolve it 
     without a referral and delay after delay.
       HMOs might work for some, but not for those who don't want 
     one. Letters to a Congressman are supposed to be more formal, 
     but seriously, what country are we in?
       I am not asking for a handout. I am asking for a reasonable 
     choice of a basic PPO, which I have paid for in the past and 
     am asking to have the option to pay for now.
       I am not just writing to vent. I am asking for some sort of 
     solution through this train wreck of healthcare options or 
     lack thereof.
       If President Obama thinks this is actually working, then he 
     is more blind than me. And that is as nice as I can be now.
       Thanks for hearing me out and for looking for solutions 
     that impact real lives.
       Respectfully, Andrea Kulberg.

  Mr. Speaker, I don't care if you are a Democrat or Republican. Hear 
Andrea's words--act. Let's rescue Andrea from ObamaCare and restore the 
promises of quality of care, high quality of care, lower price, doctor 
of choice.

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